Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Internet security tips for online schooling
Excerpts from article published in Security Insider Access Online
The current global health crisis has brought unprecedented change to some of the most basic endeavours in life. Going to school, for instance, went from being a normal everyday routine, to becoming a struggle to cope with the various distractions of the digital world.
We’ve talked to some industry experts about online safety tips that will help you adjust to education’s “new normal.” Here are their responses:
1. Protect their e-mail account
If your children have email accounts, for example, make it clear that messages from names they aren’t familiar with should be ignored, because opening them and clicking any of the links inside could spell trouble.
2. Switch on 2-step authentication
If the feature is available, turn on your kid’s two or multi-factor authentication. This means that they’ll access their online schooling accounts by either entering a passcode or using fingerprint or Face ID. This prevents unauthorised users from accessing their accounts, even if hackers have your children’s login credentials.
3. Use child-safe browsers
An important step in protecting children in the online world, is to use child-safe internet browsers such as Kidrex or Kidsplorer. This will limit the use to pre-approved websites and games. It’s much easier to ensure their safety using such a dedicated browser instead of the usual ones.
4. Mind their computer camera
Always cover up the camera on your child’s laptop, unless required to be virtually present for class. It’s not uncommon for hackers to access their camera and watch them while they work on the computer. This is a particularly troubling thought for parents whose children may be doing their schooling online because of COVID-19.
5. Update their gadget’s apps
Developers release security patches that cover up vulnerabilities in the tools every now and then. Remember to keep your apps updated to stay safe from the breaches.
6. Limit location services
If your child is attending school online, an easy way to increase their security is to limit location services. Check your computer’s location services and verify which apps have access to your location. The less that have access to it, the better. If a hacker gets access to your location data, they could deduce when you’ll be home and use that information against you. Secondly, go through all your apps (even Zoom) and restrict access to your contacts, photos and calendar. Limiting sensitive data on public apps will increase your online security.
8. Educate them with the basics of cybersecurity
It’s imperative for parents to remember that nothing replaces candid discussions with children about cybersecurity. Keep them informed about the dangers of visiting unknown websites or communicating with strangers so they won’t fall into the trap of internet predators.
Career
Six things you can do with a graphic design degree
Excerpts from article by Tom May published in Creative Boom
A whole host of exciting careers await graphic design graduates, some of which you might never have thought of. Some of these are listed below:
1. Graphic designer
We’ll start with the obvious one. By taking a job as a graphic designer, you’ll be putting everything you learned during your degree to good use, designing content for both print and digital media. You’ll be doing something you love, and getting paid pretty decently for it!
There’s a lot of variety on offer too. You can work across a range of disciplines, including branding, advertising, marketing and media, and create content including (but not limited to) brochures, posters, billboards, packaging, signage, magazines, websites, apps and in-store displays. You might work for a design studio, an advertising company or any company’s in-house design department. Or you might just start as a freelancer.
2. UX designer
Love digital and think you can design digital experiences that would attract and engage others? Then UX designer, also increasingly known as a visual designer, is the job to look at.
Short for user experience, UX is about designing websites, apps, software, digital interfaces and VR experiences, and other pixellated fun. And the best bit? It’s much in demand as the society becomes increasingly digitally based, so starting salaries are quite generous.
3. Advertising art director
Like the idea of telling brands’ stories in an original, fun and emotionally connected way? As an art director in the advertising industry, that’s exactly the challenging yet rewarding work you’ll be tasked with. And there’s never a dull moment, as you work across everything from online video, apps, websites, AR and VR, to TV and cinema commercials, billboards, print magazines, and outdoor advertising.
The advertising industry is huge and once you get going, the world will be your oyster. You’ll start as a junior creative and work your way up the ranks to senior art director, creative director or manager. Alternatively, you may prefer to freelance, find your own company, or move into directing mainstream films and television. Exciting stuff.
4. Illustrator
It’s an excellent career choice for anyone with artistic talent and the drive to produce great work. Such work may appear in a variety of media, including books, magazines, websites, apps greetings cards, packaging, advertising and more.
One good strategy can be to specialise in specific areas such as medical illustration or architectural illustration, which can mean you’re always in demand and can take the pick of the plum jobs. You may work full-time for a design agency, publishing company or magazine, but it’s more usual nowadays to begin your illustration career as a freelancer.
5. Motion designer
Bringing your static designs to life as a motion designer can boost your earning power and open doors to countless new opportunities. It’s also creatively enriching and ultimately very rewarding work too.
You’ll probably need to learn some software skills, but do that. You’ll find there are lots of jobs available, from animation studios and games studios to post-production companies and design agencies.
6. Games developer
Games have never been bigger as an industry, now outstripping even TV and movies in terms of revenue. So it’s a great time to become a game developer, creating computer games for game consoles, personal computers, tablets and mobile phones.
Quite frankly, it’s one of the coolest jobs in the world, and the prospect of creating an entire universe within which people across the world play together will fire up every creative person’s imagination. As you work your way up, you have the potential to become a senior developer, producer or technical director. Alternatively, you might prefer to make and sell your own games. Like a boss!
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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